Vehicle collision detection systems and methods

Abstract

A vehicle collision detection system includes one or more processors configured to receive data from one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle and to analyze the data to detect a collision at the vehicle. In response to the collision at the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to provide control signals to activate one or more cameras coupled to the vehicle to obtain one or more images of an environment surrounding the vehicle.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle collision detection system, comprising:
 one or more processors configured to:
 receive data from one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle; 
 analyze the data to detect a collision at the vehicle; 
 in response to detecting the collision at the vehicle:
 provide control signals to activate one or more cameras coupled to the vehicle to obtain one or more images of an environment surrounding the vehicle; 
 provide additional control signals to automatically activate a data access device coupled to the vehicle, wherein the data access device comprises one or more radio frequency (RF) sensors configured to detect and measure one or more RF signals of a mobile device associated with a person located in a vicinity of the vehicle; 
 determine a location of the mobile device and identifying information associated with the person based on the one or more RF signals; and 
 store the location in conjunction with the identifying information. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to detecting the collision at the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to activate one or more remote cameras located remotely from the vehicle to obtain one or more additional images of the environment surrounding the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust an insurance cost associated with the vehicle in response to activation of the one or more remote cameras upon detection of any collision at the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more remote cameras are located at a property that is a residence of a person associated with the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to access a data service based on the identifying information to identify additional information about the person in the vicinity of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to detecting the collision at the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to provide an alert to a driver of the vehicle, a person associated with the vehicle, to emergency services personnel, or any combination thereof, wherein the alert comprises an indication of the location, the identifying information, or both. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyze the data to detect the collision at the vehicle by comparing an impact force at the vehicle to one or more thresholds. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more thresholds comprise a first threshold for use when the vehicle is stationary and a second threshold for use when the vehicle is traveling. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cameras comprise a rotational camera configured to rotate 360 degrees relative to the vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 1 , wherein the collision comprises glass breakage, and the one or more processors are configured to analyze the data to detect the glass breakage. 
     
     
         11 . A vehicle collision detection system, comprising:
 one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle;   one or more remote cameras located remotely from the vehicle; and   one or more processors configured to:
 receive data from the one or more sensors; 
 analyze the data to detect an object within a buffer zone surrounding the vehicle; and 
 in response to detecting the object within the buffer zone surrounding the vehicle:
 provide control signals to activate the one or more remote cameras to obtain one or more images of an environment surrounding the vehicle and automatically activate a data access device coupled to the vehicle, wherein the data access device comprises one or more radio frequency (RF) sensors configured to detect and measure one or more first RF signals of a first mobile device associated with a driver of the vehicle and one or more second RF signals of a second mobile device associated with an another person in a vicinity of the vehicle; 
 based on the one or more first RF signals, determine a first location of the first mobile device and first identifying information associated with the driver, and based on the one or more second RF signals, determine a second location of the second mobile device and second identifying information associated with the another person; and 
 store the first location in conjunction with the first identifying information and the second location in conjunction with the second identifying information. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust an insurance cost associated with the vehicle in response to receipt of authorization to activate the one or more remote cameras. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust an insurance cost associated with a property at which the one or more remote cameras are located in response to receipt of authorization to activate the one or more remote cameras. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 11 , comprising one or more cameras coupled to the vehicle, wherein, in response to detecting the object within the buffer zone surrounding the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to activate the one or more cameras to obtain one or more additional images of the environment surrounding the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 11 , wherein, in response to detecting the object within the buffer zone surrounding the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to provide an alert to the driver, a person associated with the vehicle, to emergency services personnel, or any combination thereof, and wherein the alert comprises the first location, the second location, the first identifying information, the second identifying information, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to access a data service based on the second identifying information to identify additional information about the another person in the vicinity of the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 11 , wherein, in response to detecting the object within the buffer zone surrounding the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to provide the control signals to adjust an orientation of the one or more remote cameras to enable the one or more remote cameras to obtain the one or more images of the environment surrounding the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . A method of operating a vehicle collision detection system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at one or more processors, data from one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle;   analyzing, using the one or more processors, the data to detect a collision at the vehicle; and   in response to detecting the collision at the vehicle and using the one or more processors:
 providing control signals to activate one or more cameras coupled to the vehicle to obtain one or more images of an environment surrounding the vehicle, to activate one or more remote cameras located remotely from the vehicle to obtain one or more additional images of the environment surrounding the vehicle, to provide an alert to a first mobile device associated with a driver of the vehicle, and to automatically activate a data access device coupled to the vehicle, wherein the data access device comprises one or more radio frequency (RF) sensors configured to detect and measure one or more RF signals of a second mobile device associated with a person in a vicinity of the vehicle; 
 determining a location of the second mobile device and identifying information of the person from the one or more RF signals, wherein the alert comprises an indication of the collision, the location, the identifying information, or any combination thereof; and 
 storing the location in association with the identifying information in a data storage device associated with the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive additional data comprising a time, a date, or both associated with the data, the one or more images, the one or more additional images, the one or more RF signals, or any combination thereof, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to store the additional data in the data storage device. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle collision detection system of  claim 1 , comprising a data storage device coupled to the vehicle, wherein the one or more processors are configured to store the location in conjunction with the identifying information in the data storage device.